jasper national park

“You’re staying in the field, so we should let you know about the grizzly,” the park ranger says as he hands us a couple of brochures about keeping a “bare” campsite.

It turns out that it’s calving season for the elk here, and the elk love to hang out in the field where we’re staying. This is apparent as soon as we walk onto the field, gear in hand, and see that everywhere is a toilet to an elk.

Calving season means easy pickings for the bears. Normally, they wouldn’t come this close to the campgrounds, but this bear must have heard through the grapevine that there’s a feast to be had.

When I moved out west, the mountains were a big factor in the decision. Knowing that you can escape for a weekend to a place of sandstone and shale, snow caps and glaciers, expanses of evergreen, bears and deer, is enough to cure any working-day doldrums (that’s the first time I’ve ever used that word, I don’t know how I feel about it).

This past week, my parents came to visit me. It was my first time seeing them in over a year, and their first time in Alberta. When you come here, you have to head to the Rocky Mountains, so that’s what we did.

Banff and Jasper are huge parks with plenty to see. In order to cram in as much as possible, we spent a lottt of time driving. Fortunately, it’s not a dull drive.